Dartmouth Avenue, Fourth Avenue resurfacing projects a “go”

Fourth Avenue (pictured above) is set to be repaved from 18th Street to McAdory School Road.

A major resurfacing project in Bessemer is ready to begin.

Starting this month road crews from Dunn Construction will be in the city to begin a project to resurface and pave portions of Dartmouth Avenue and Fourth Avenue.

Paving will start first on Dartmouth Avenue. The Dartmouth project will see the street repaved from 14th Street South, or Highway 150, all the way to 36th Street South near the Lipscomb City limits.

The Fourth Avenue project will follow and will include resurfacing of the roadway from 18th Street North in downtown to McAdory School Road.

“We want to thank current Governor Kay Ivey, ALDOT director John Cooper, DeJarvis Leonard, Geneva Brown and ALDOT staff for working with us to make sure these road projects become a reality,” said Mayor Kenneth Gulley.

“Drivers in our city will be very pleased to know these projects are about to get underway and we’re certain they will be even happier with the driving conditions on the roadways in the future,” he said.

“We’re committed as a Mayor and City Council to address road conditions in our city. This project, along with some additional paving projects we have planned for this year, will go a long way towards addressing the quality of our roads here in Bessemer.”

The projects are part of a joint-effort between the city of Bessemer and the state of Alabama. The resurfacing projects are being paid for with a combination of federal funding supplied through the Alabama Transportation Rehabilitation and Improvement Program, or ATRIP program, and city matching funds.

The state awarded the city funds for the project in 2013 after Mayor Gulley visited with state leaders to lobby on behalf of the city being included in the final round of funding.

The ATRIP program is part of a state effort to improve infrastructure statewide. The city of Bessemer has already used ATRIP funds to replace bridge culverts on Third and Eighth avenues, marking the first time in Bessemer’s history that bridges have been replaced, and improve traffic signalization and ADA compliance in downtown Bessemer.

The total cost of construction, including engineering and inspection, for the projects is $2.38 million. Please take note of the construction in both areas while it is on-going. Both projects are anticipated to last into the spring of 2018.